Sunday, February 19, 2012

Israelis around the world cautioned to be on high alert

Israelis around the world cautioned to be on high alert

Counterterrorism Bureau calls on Israelis to act cautiously, be aware of suspicious objects, turn down small objects from strangers, and comply with instructions issued by security officials • Special security alerts are issued for Thailand and the Sinai Peninsula • Thai police find motorcycle used by one of alleged Iranian terrorists in foiled plot, report says.

Shlomo Cesana

Aftermath of terrorist attack in New Dehli last week. Warning issued to Israelis abroad to remain vigilant.

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Photo credit: Reuters

The Counterterrorism Bureau at the Prime Minister’s Office issued a global warning to Israelis living or visiting abroad last week, urging them to be cautious and alert. The alert was issued in light of the recent attacks and attempted attacks on Israelis in several countries.

A senior bureau official said, “From data we recently collected and from information obtained from interrogations of persons detained for their suspected involvement in recent attacks in New Delhi and Georgia, it seems that Iran and Hezbollah are continuing their efforts to carry out terrorist attacks against Israelis abroad. It is our understanding that there will be more attacks soon, aside from those that were already executed or thwarted.”

The bureau called on Israelis to act cautiously, be alert for suspicious objects around them, refuse to take objects from strangers, and pay attention to instructions issued by security officials in their respective countries.

Special security alerts were issued by the bureau for Thailand and the Sinai Peninsula, although the alerts did not include any new content.

In a new development in the investigation into the foiled attack on Israeli targets in Thailand, the Bangkok Post reported on Sunday that Thai police had found the motorcycle believed to have been used by one of the alleged Iranian terrorists.

A local shop owner notified police over the weekend after he saw that the Honda Wave motorcycle had been parked in front of his store for a long period of time, the Bangkok Post reported.

After arriving at the scene and examining the motorcycle, forensic police said it had been bought by one of the suspects, Masoud Sedaghatzadeh, 31, who was arrested in Malaysia on Wednesday after fleeing from Thailand.

Meanwhile, according to the Hindustan Times Indo-Asian News Service, Iranian ambassador to Thailand Majid Bizmark said on Sunday that the attacks in Bangkok were organized by the “Zionist regime” of Israel as a provocation against the image of Iran and Iranian-Thai relations. “If we follow the issue closely and wisely, we’ll find out who is behind the scenario. There are some things I cannot say, but as I mentioned, in this scenario, the first suspect is Zionists,” Bizmark said in an interview to local daily The Nation, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.

Bizmark reportedly said Iran strongly condemned the actions of those who perpetrated the attacks and that the Iranian embassy doubted that the suspects were citizens of Iran, despite the statements by immigration police that they entered Thailand using Iranian passports. “We don’t know who they are ... they could be anybody,” he was quoted as saying.

The Hindustan Times reported that Thai police said they were looking for an additional suspect involved in the Bangkok attack who also entered Thailand using an Iranian passport. The 52-year-old suspect was said to be a weapons instructor who taught younger members of the cell how to create plastic explosives.

The Iranian ambassador was quoted as saying, “All these incidents or scenarios were prepared and directed by elements of the Zionist regime. They started this chain by sending fabricated news all around the world. They are the first suspects.”